Chapter iv.
The adventure of a beggar-man.
Just as Partridge had uttered that good and pious doctrine, with whichthe last chapter concluded, they arrived at another cross-way, when alame fellow in rags asked them for alms; upon which Partridge gave hima severe rebuke, saying, "Every parish ought to keep their own poor."Jones then fell a-laughing, and asked Partridge, "if he was notashamed, with so much charity in his mouth, to have no charity in hisheart. Your religion," says he, "serves you only for an excuse foryour faults, but is no incentive to your virtue. Can any man who isreally a Christian abstain from relieving one of his brethren in sucha miserable condition?" And at the same time, putting his hand in hispocket, he gave the poor object a shilling.
"Master," cries the fellow, after thanking him, "I have a curiousthing here in my pocket, which I found about two miles off, if yourworship will please to buy it. I should not venture to pull it out toevery one; but, as you are so good a gentleman, and so kind to thepoor, you won't suspect a man of being a thief only because he ispoor." He then pulled out a little gilt pocket-book, and delivered itinto the hands of Jones.
Jones presently opened it, and (guess, reader, what he felt) saw inthe first page the words Sophia Western, written by her own fair hand.He no sooner read the name than he prest it close to his lips; norcould he avoid falling into some very frantic raptures,notwithstanding his company; but, perhaps, these very raptures madehim forget he was not alone.
While Jones was kissing and mumbling the book, as if he had anexcellent brown buttered crust in his mouth or as if he had reallybeen a book-worm, or an author who had nothing to eat but his ownworks, a piece of paper fell from its leaves to the ground, whichPartridge took up, and delivered to Jones, who presently perceived itto be a bank-bill. It was, indeed, the very bill which Western hadgiven his daughter the night before her departure; and a Jew wouldhave jumped to purchase it at five shillings less than L100.
The eyes of Partridge sparkled at this news, which Jones nowproclaimed aloud; and so did (though with somewhat a different aspect)those of the poor fellow who had found the book; and who (I hope froma principle of honesty) had never opened it: but we should not dealhonestly by the reader if we omitted to inform him of a circumstancewhich may be here a little material, viz. that the fellow could notread.
Jones, who had felt nothing but pure joy and transport from thefinding the book, was affected with a mixture of concern at this newdiscovery; for his imagination instantly suggested to him that theowner of the bill might possibly want it before he should be able toconvey it to her. He then acquainted the finder that he knew the ladyto whom the book belonged, and would endeavour to find her out as soonas possible, and return it her.
The pocket-book was a late present from Mrs Western to her niece; ithad cost five-and-twenty shillings, having been bought of a celebratedtoyman; but the real value of the silver which it contained in itsclasp was about eighteen-pence; and that price the said toyman, as itwas altogether as good as when it first issued from his shop, wouldnow have given for it. A prudent person would, however, have takenproper advantage of the ignorance of this fellow, and would not haveoffered more than a shilling, or perhaps sixpence, for it; nay, someperhaps would have given nothing, and left the fellow to his action oftrover, which some learned serjeants may doubt whether he could, underthese circumstances, have maintained.
Jones, on the contrary, whose character was on the outside ofgenerosity, and may perhaps not very unjustly have been suspected ofextravagance, without any hesitation gave a guinea in exchange for thebook. The poor man, who had not for a long time before been possessedof so much treasure, gave Mr Jones a thousand thanks, and discoveredlittle less of transport in his muscles than Jones had before shownwhen he had first read the name of Sophia Western.
The fellow very readily agreed to attend our travellers to the placewhere he had found the pocket-book. Together, therefore, theyproceeded directly thither; but not so fast as Mr Jones desired; forhis guide unfortunately happened to be lame, and could not possiblytravel faster than a mile an hour. As this place, therefore, was atabove three miles' distance, though the fellow had said otherwise, thereader need not be acquainted how long they were in walking it.
Jones opened the book a hundred times during their walk, kissed it asoften, talked much to himself, and very little to his companions. Atall which the guide exprest some signs of astonishment to Partridge;who more than once shook his head, and cryed, Poor gentleman! _orandumest ut sit mens sana in corpore sano._
At length they arrived at the very spot where Sophia unhappily droptthe pocket-book, and where the fellow had as happily found it. HereJones offered to take leave of his guide, and to improve his pace; butthe fellow, in whom that violent surprize and joy which the firstreceipt of the guinea had occasioned was now considerably abated, andwho had now had sufficient time to recollect himself, put on adiscontented look, and, scratching his head, said, "He hoped hisworship would give him something more. Your worship," said he, "will,I hope, take it into your consideration that if I had not been honestI might have kept the whole." And, indeed, this the reader mustconfess to have been true. "If the paper there," said he, "be worthL100, I am sure the finding it deserves more than a guinea. Besides,suppose your worship should never see the lady, nor give it her--and,though your worship looks and talks very much like a gentleman, yet Ihave only your worship's bare word; and, certainly, if the right ownerben't to be found, it all belongs to the first finder. I hope yourworship will consider of all these matters: I am but a poor man, andtherefore don't desire to have all; but it is but reasonable I shouldhave my share. Your worship looks like a good man, and, I hope, willconsider my honesty; for I might have kept every farthing, and nobodyever the wiser." "I promise thee, upon my honour," cries Jones, "thatI know the right owner, and will restore it her." "Nay, your worship,"answered the fellow, "may do as you please as to that; if you will butgive me my share, that is, one-half of the money, your honour may keepthe rest yourself if you please;" and concluded with swearing, by avery vehement oath, "that he would never mention a syllable of it toany man living."
"Lookee, friend," cries Jones, "the right owner shall certainly haveagain all that she lost; and as for any farther gratuity, I reallycannot give it you at present; but let me know your name, and whereyou live, and it is more than possible you may hereafter have furtherreason to rejoice at this morning's adventure."
"I don't know what you mean by venture," cries the fellow; "it seems Imust venture whether you will return the lady her money or no; but Ihope your worship will consider--" "Come, come," said Partridge, "tellhis honour your name, and where you may be found; I warrant you willnever repent having put the money into his hands." The fellow, seeingno hopes of recovering the possession of the pocket-book, at lastcomplied in giving in his name and place of abode, which Jones writupon a piece of paper with the pencil of Sophia; and then, placing thepaper in the same page where she had writ her name, he cried out,"There, friend, you are the happiest man alive; I have joined yourname to that of an angel." "I don't know anything about angels,"answered the fellow; "but I wish you would give me a little moremoney, or else return me the pocket-book." Partridge now waxed wrath:he called the poor cripple by several vile and opprobrious names, andwas absolutely proceeding to beat him, but Jones would not suffer anysuch thing: and now, telling the fellow he would certainly find someopportunity of serving him, Mr Jones departed as fast as his heelswould carry him; and Partridge, into whom the thoughts of the hundredpound had infused new spirits, followed his leader; while the man, whowas obliged to stay behind, fell to cursing them both, as well as hisparents; "for had they," says he, "sent me to charity-school to learnto write and read and cast accounts, I should have known the value ofthese matters as well as other people."
History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Page 133